


En Chocolat

by Jaycee (xxjxxc)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Chocolate, Chocolatier, Divorce, Family, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Remarriage, Reunions, SHOOK, Sex Education, Single Parents, Unconventional Families, Unplanned Pregnancy, Valentine's Day, Young Parents, a kid written by me, and really that isnt the point of the fic, at the time of the fic everyone is 20 plus, background f/m/m, but not dysfunctional, but probably no smut at the end cuz i usually chicken out, except the child, expect discussions about sex, huh didnt know that was going to be here too, not really but rerelationship, teenagers with a sex drive, who is not so good with kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2019-10-25 19:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17730935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxjxxc/pseuds/Jaycee
Summary: After dropping out of college, Marco's self-esteem takes a hit. He returns to his hometown to work in his mother's store, but almost all of his friends have moved away and made something of their lives. One day Jean walks into the store, who Marco soon learns has dropped out of college to take care of his unexpected son, and Marco can't help but admire him.And that's how Marco's unexpected journey into parenthood begins.





	1. Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME EDITS have been made in this chapter. Read again to refresh your memory :)
> 
> * * *
> 
> This was going to be a simple Valentine's one-shot, but life happened and I couldn't finish it before then. It also got longer than expected, so it will probably be a mini-series.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not good with kids, or writing kids. I hope this reads as a positive story for everyone's situations, despite their difficulties. Valentine's Day is to celebrate love!

6 AM was definitely too early for Marco.

Time had been incredibly slow all morning. Getting out of bed had felt like a task of a century in itself. The outside air was cold, but it was hot inside the store, only serving to throw his systems further off. He didn't normally have to come in before opening hours, but the high season of chocolates was coming up, and his mother could use all the help she could get.

Marco was just a cashier. He could take inventory, but anything in the back of the store was unfamiliar and complicated. It wasn't for him. Especially not this early.

It was now 9:02 and Marco had finally been allowed the saving grace of manning the cash register, which meant he could rest his head on the counter and try to close his eyes for a few seconds before the first customers came in. Good business is good business, but Marco thanked the heavens that it wasn’t Valentine’s Day quite yet and people weren’t lining up in front of the store before it even opened.

The bell at the door chimed. Marco knew he wouldn’t have long, but he’d at least hoped for a little more than a minute.

Standing straight as quickly as he could, Marco put on a big smile. “Good morning! Welcome to En Chocolat,” he greeted, spotting a man with a child studying a display of chocolates opposite of him. 

The man didn’t look at him, mumbling a good morning in return, and at any other time of the day Marco would have been insulted, but he understood. At least there was another person who had as much trouble with mornings as Marco did.

“Let me know if there is anything I can do for you,” Marco added, receiving another mumble of affirmation and taking it as a sign that the man didn’t need his immediate help. Relieved, Marco let himself sink back into his chair.

The man kept looking between two boxes of chocolates, clearly struggling to decide, but Marco would let him figure it out for himself. He'd indicated he was there to help, and often times he found the unasked advice of store employees rather pressuring himself. The man was tall, his shoulders square as he had a secure hold on the child. Curiously, Marco tried to get a look at the young boy, or what he guessed was a boy from what he could see. The child was sat securely on the man's right hip, and as much as the man appeared like someone had forcibly dragged him out of bed, he also appeared incredibly caring.

Briefly glancing out the window, Marco noticed the streets were considerably empty this morning. The weather had been fickle lately; a chill wind one day, sweet sun the next, as if winter and spring were fighting for the upper hand. Many people caught a cold. Today was one of those grey days. If he had had nowhere to be, Marco wouldn't have left the house either.

His attention was drawn to the man again when he heard his voice. He couldn’t make out what exactly the man said, but he looked down and spoke to the little boy, as if asking for his advice. It looked like he already had a shopping assistant of his own. A fond smile returned to Marco’s lips, finding himself liking the man more and more.

He seemed fairly young. The way he moved gave him that casual and youthful air about him, not to mention the long coat and the quick ponytail that pulled back half of his dirty blond hair. His fashion sense clashed with that of anyone over 30. He was lean, but those shoulders looked like he could carry the world, and as he lifted the boy up into a more comfortable position, Marco had to admit his interest was piqued.

Marco didn’t know what it was about men who were good with children. Marco liked children, but he didn’t particularly want any of his own; definitely not now, and probably only ever if he was absolutely sure about his relationship. Regardless, whenever he saw a man who looked like he could qualify for dad of the year, Marco felt his heart swell.

Some sort of instinct, it must be.

”Marco?”

Looking up at the call of his name, Marco found the man suddenly in front of him, looking at him with surprise and recognition on his face.

“Jean?” Marco bounced back a name before he even had time to take a second look at the other, his eyes growing wide as the realisation set in. “Hey! It’s been a long time!”

“Yeah,” Jean agreed, returning Marco's smile as he placed a box of chocolates on the counter. Reminded of his job, Marco scanned the product and gave Jean his total. Jean gestured to let him pay by card and Marco quickly initiated the payment, letting his attention fall on the little boy in Jean's arms. Marco couldn’t estimate a child’s age worth anything, but the boy couldn’t be more than an infant; chubby cheeks, button nose and a mop of reddish blond hair.

The boy noticed Marco looking, large, curious eyes gazing back at him, and the light sparked molten gold their brown depths.

Jean spoke up again. “I thought you moved to Jinae for college.”

“I did,” Marco smiled up at Jean, shrugging off the sense of dread he had about explaining his situation. Jean may have been known in their class for brutal honesty, but he had never been one to judge a conscious decision. “I dropped out. I changed major because the first one wasn’t working out for me, but the second didn’t make it any better. I needed a break.”

With an understanding hum, Jean nodded and managed to put his wallet away. “College is exhausting,” he said, “I dropped out, too.”

Marco frowned. Jean had the brain to finish any degree he set his mind to. “What happened?”

Jean adjusted his hold on the child again, making a funny face at the boy as he looked up at him. Jean carried the boy like he’d been doing it for ages. “I had other priorities.”

Jostled to attention, the little boy whined and made a complaintive noise.

“Soon, Leo.”

Jean answered as if he understood the boy’s attempted words, lifting him into both of his arms and soothing him gently. Marco’s eyes widened at the skill with which Jean quieted the child, but Jean looked quite surprised himself, so perhaps it was a stroke of luck.

Jean gave an apologetic smile, but Marco shook his head.

“Leo?” Marco asked, trying to get some of the boy’s attention. Leo used Jean's chest as a support and turned to look at him, responding to the call, but then promptly hid his face in Jean’s coat.

“Yup. This is Leo,” Jean replied instead, his expression lighting up as he looked between the boy and Marco. “Leo’s shy around new faces.”

“Is he Juliette’s son?”

The question made sense in Marco’s head; Jean’s sister was seven years older than them, and the last thing Marco had heard was that she had gotten engaged, so the conditions were lining up for her to start a family.

The instant fall of Jean’s smile seemed to argue differently.

“He’s my son.”

Marco had to do a double take. “Your son?”

Jean nodded curtly, frown only deepening.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" Marco trailed off, realising how many times Jean must have had people give him disapproving stares as soon as he told them, but his thoughts jumped all over the place. “How did I miss that news?”

“I wasn’t too loud about it at first." Jean’s voice was tense, closing off, and Marco felt even worse about his shocked reaction. "Unplanned, early 20s and all that.”

“I didn’t mean to judge you," Marco attempted, "I'm sorry.”

Jean sighed, his shoulders slacking as he briefly shut his eyes. “I know, I know.” He refused to look at Marco as he tried to recompose, keeping his focus on Leo instead. It didn't take long before the tenderness began to relax his features. Still, a mixture or relief and pure exhaustion lingered on the edges of his face. Jean looked like he had heard every lecture imaginable. “You’re surprised. You hadn’t expected it.”

As if sensing the mood, Leo began to complain again, grabby hands demanding Jean’s attention. Jean carefully took the chocolates from the counter, supporting Leo with the underside of his arm. 

“I have to go,” Jean said, the small quirk of his lips attempting to reassure Marco that he wasn’t upset, even if it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “See you around, Marco.”

“See you!” Marco returned quickly, biting his lip as Jean exited the store with Leo. He wasn't sure whether to be excited about the unexpected reunion or mad at himself for the way he messed it up, and vaguely hopeful that Jean would forgive his mistake. He felt like an ass, but even so, it was good to see an old friend again. Jean was the first of his classmates that Marco had gotten a chance to see again, and he’d been back home for months now. The town of Sina mostly looked no different, but it wasn't the same without any of his old friends around.

As Jean left the store, Leo peered over his shoulder, and Marco waved at him happily. Catching up with Jean would be nice, and getting to know his adorable son would be a definite bonus.

Suddenly, Marco’s exhaustion had melted before the sun.

* * *

As energized as Marco had been that morning, the lack of sleep caught up to him over the hours, and by the time he landed on the couch back at home, he was ready to pass out.

“Good work, Marco,” Aurora said, hanging her coat and walking straight toward the kitchen as if she hadn’t been on her feet all day. “I’ll make casserole, how’s that sound?”

“Sounds perfect,” Marco agreed, letting out a heavy sigh as he tried to bring himself to get up and help his mother prepare. “Give me five seconds.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’ve done enough today.”

The sounds of bowls being moved around and drawers opening already filled the room, and Aurora probably already had the entire dinner mapped out in her head. Allowing himself to be lazy, Marco sighed again and quietly thanked his mother. She never asked much of him. She ran En Chocolat all by herself, handled her own business without wanting to bother anyone else, and Marco could only wish he had that kind of strength.

His mother was incredibly strong. Even when she had been in the middle of a divorce, Aurora had fought for him and shielded him from the effects. Marco remembered the sudden absence of a father at home, the silence and the emptiness in his own world, but never any pain or anger on his mother’s face.

Marco had been 8 years old. He had always liked his father, never seen any signs that things weren’t perfect, so he hadn’t understood what was going on. For a while, Matteo would visit, or take Marco with him for a weekend, but it wasn’t the same anymore. It felt awkward. His mother wasn’t as excited for his father’s visits as Marco was, and his father seemed tired the entire time they spend together.

The contact fell off. It hurt. Marco had often wondered what he did wrong, but over time, he began to see a different picture.

The situation became clearer when his mother found a new boyfriend. The frowns that his mother had never expressed faded, bright smiles taking their place. Things were changing again, but it wasn't uncomfortable this time. With Kaito’s support, Aurora began to make plans for her dream of owning a chocolate store. Kaito offered advice, he offered help, he simply offered company, and not only to his mother, but to Marco, too.

His father had lost interest in both of them. Matteo couldn’t work up commitment to his family, not like Kaito and his mother could, and not like Jean evidently could for Leo.

High-pitched beeps distantly drew Marco’s attention, and not much later the couch dipped at his feet.

“Oh Marco,” Aurora cooed, undoubtedly looking at his slumped form with concern. “I’m sorry. I know you aren’t a morning person.”

“It’s fine,” Marco said, removing his arm from his eyes and squinting at the light. “I can help.”

“I’ll give you a few days off after Valentine’s.”

“There’s no need.”

“I want to,” Aurora insisted, “You should have some time to yourself.”

Marco didn’t know what he needed free time for. It wasn't like he had any dreams to work on, or any interests to pursue. He couldn’t get his act together and complete a degree, so the least he could do was put more time into his mother's store.

His mother always knew when he was brooding. “Did anything happen at the storefront today?”

Marco heaved himself into a sitting position, facing his mother more properly. “Nothing interesting for business, but one of my old classmates walked in. Jean.”

“I remember the name,” Aurora said, trying to match a face to it. “Is that the one who--”

Marco didn’t need to hear more. His mother puffing up her chest and taking off an invisible jacket was clear enough. “Yes. Yes, okay, that one, but that never happened.”

Aurora was referencing that time when some of the older students had sneaked cheap alcohol into a house party, and Jean had essentially ended up revealing his hidden talent as a sexy dancer. Aurora wouldn’t have had to know about that, but obviously she demanded an explanation when Marco showed up late with a drunken grin plastered on his face. Turns out Marco babbles a lot under the influence.

“Don’t be so embarrassed, Marco.” Aurora waved a hand dismissively. She had never been that mad about the party. Concerned, yes, but she was that kind of person who believed in the freedom to make mistakes and discover for yourself. His mother had never bothered much with societal expectations, which was great, but occasionally Marco felt she could do with a little more of a thought filter. “Those things happen. It wasn’t even you who took off his clothes.”

“Mom,” Marco interjected, warning tone telling her to drop the topic. She raised her hands in surrender and sat back, saying no more.

Marco may not have been the one who took off his clothes, but he was the one undeniably bothered by said taking off of clothes, and not in a pure kind of way. If Marco had had any doubt at that point about his attraction to men, he’d have known when his eyes immediately trailed down to Jean’s hips, following the lines of muscle into his shorts.

“Anyway. Jean wasn’t alone,” Marco began, taking back the conversation, but unsure how to bring up what was really on his mind. “Did you know Jean has a son?”

“A son?”

“Yes. His name is Leo.”

“I didn’t know.” Aurora’s answer was definite, a confused frown drawing between her brows. Like Marco, she probably wondered how the news hadn’t reached them sooner. Sina wasn’t that large; it wasn’t quite a small town either, but most people knew each other one way or another and it was hard to escape the attention.

Aurora knew that like no other. The end of a marriage was always a hot topic.

“Don’t start telling everyone. I don’t know if there’s a reason we don’t know,” Marco added quickly, mentally kicking himself for not having thought of that sooner. He trusted his mother, trusted that she had enough sense to know when not to tell, but he had to make it clear. If word spread and Jean was hurt, it would be Marco’s fault for telling first.

“I understand.” Aurora nodded, the confusion still lingering in her voice. She looked like she wanted to ask more, choosing her words, but the sound of the front door opening interrupted her.

Expectedly, Kaito soon emerged from the hallway. Aurora cheerfully welcomed him home.

“Hey sweetheart,” Kaito greeted her back, stopping by the couch to peck her on the lips. “Marco,” he added, raising a quick peace sign at him, and Marco returned the gesture. Kaito then moved towards the kitchen, grabbing himself something to drink like he usually did.

Aurora turned back to Marco. “I hope Jean’s okay. People can be incredibly insensitive to young parents,” she said, “Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to people to know.”

“Yeah. Jean seemed like he’d heard just about everyone’s opinion.” Marco nodded, thinking back to the weariness that had been all over Jean. He really did seem saddened by Marco's reaction, faced with the same disbelief and misunderstanding he'd seen a thousand times before. “He told me easily, though.”

“He knows you,” Aurora argued, trying to counter the doubt she saw on her son’s face. She couldn’t pinpoint what troubled him. “Do you think it’s hard on Jean, being a young father?”

Kaito returned to the living room, glass of water in hand and eyebrows raised. “Lise Kirschstein’s son?”

“Yes,” Marco confirmed, “And no, I think he’s doing amazing. I’m sure it’s hard sometimes, everything he has to take care of, but you should have seen him with Leo.” Marco could still see the smiles and the tenderness Jean shared with his son, his own expression growing fond at the memory. “He cares for Leo so much.”

“I think they’ll be fine,” Aurora reassured, finding herself smiling at the way Marco livened up. It was a good sign for Jean, and it was a look any mother preferred to unexplained worry. “As long as they both look happy and healthy, I’m sure they’re doing well.”

Marco considered it. “Jean seemed in good spirits, if not a little tired.”

“Anyone with a young child looks tired.”

Marco let a laugh escape. On the other couch, Kaito nodded his head severely.

Studying Marco’s expression, a grin slowly spread on Aurora’s features. She leaned forward in her seat, gaze remaining firmly on her son.

“You think Jean’s attractive. Still.”

Turning to Aurora sharply, Marco rolled his eyes. “No, mom, I--”

“Come on, Marco. You admitted it before, and we all know ‘good with kids’ has climbed high on your list of attractive traits.”

“It’s true,” Kaito chimed in. Marco sent him a glare, betrayed. Kaito continued to sip at his water nonchalantly.

Aurora piped up again. “Jean is bisexual, isn't he?”

Marco didn’t know how to respond anymore. How his mother had to think twice about Jean’s name, but remembered that, was beyond him.

“Anyhow, I’m not looking to date Jean.”

“Don’t you have his phone number? Any social media?"

There was no stopping Aurora. In comparison to his mother, Marco cared fairly little for sex and romance, so naturally she grabbed every opportunity to go on about it.

Marco let himself fall back against the couch. “I have his Facebook, but I haven’t seen any posts from him in forever, and I only have an old phone number. He changed it long ago.” Sending her a sideways glance, it didn’t look like the answer had satisfied his mother’s curiosity. She meant well, but Marco wasn't in the mood for the misplaced encouragement. “Mom, he has a child with someone. He's probably still with the mother. Don’t you think you should consider that?”

“But has he told you so?”

Marco shook his head.

“Then you don’t know.”

Marco didn't like to admit it, but Aurora had a point. He didn’t know. He didn’t even know who the mother was, or what kind of circumstances had led to the pregnancy. Jean had mentioned that it was unplanned, but that could still happen in various ways. Marco really didn’t know.

The return of high-pitched beeps from the kitchen saved Marco from further discussion.

“Let’s eat.”

* * *

Marco put a hand on his chest and bit his lip, suppressing a series of “aww” as he looked at the images on his phone screen.

After dinner, Marco had retreated to his room, too tired to do anything productive, but too awake to actually go to sleep. He was browsing through his apps and, before he knew it, he'd pulled up Jean’s deserted Facebook page. There wasn't a single post after his graduation picture, not even from a summer holiday right after. There were some messages from friends, but Jean seemed to have abandoned the account. It offered a nice refreshment to Marco’s memory of what Jean had looked like in high school, but Marco got bored quickly. He wasn't looking for that. He wanted to learn more about what happened after high school.

Giving Instagram a shot, Marco entered Jean’s name in the search field and immediately found his account. As smoothly as the search began, it came to a halt just as quickly. Jean’s page was set to private. After the initial disappointment, Marco convinced himself to swallow the anxiety and click follow request.

It wasn’t yet ten minutes later, as Marco was watching a video of cats startling themselves, when a push notification alerted him that his request had been accepted. Jean had followed him, too.

Jean's account wasn't so much a personal page as it was a Dad Of The Year page. There wasn’t a picture of him without Leo in it, always smiling or playing around. It looked to be quite a new account, made to keep a picture journal of Leo growing up and share it with a select audience. Jean’s mother made an appearance in a couple of posts, but as Marco scrolled down, the lack of other people became more and more apparent. Only when Marco reached the earliest pictures, a handful of new faces eventually began to trickle in. There was a single image of Juliette and her fiancé with baby Leo, a similar one of Mikasa, Armin and Eren, and a few with new friends Marco didn’t recognise.

One particular new face appeared more frequently. She was a young woman with big, bright green eyes and strawberry blonde hair that framed her face in elegant waves. Marco had seen that hair colour before. He had an inkling about who she was, and as he arrived at the very first picture on the account, there was no mistaking it. The same girl sat on a hospital bed, Jean beside her and Leo on his smallest days in her arms.

Leo’s mother. Marco had found her. She wasn’t tagged in the picture, not even mentioned by name in the caption, but at least he knew a face.

“Our dearest son Leo was born in good health ♡ 11 May 857”

May last year. Leo was 9 months old.

Reading through the captions, Marco got a better sense of how much of a surprise Leo had been. Jean mentioned only little things; a realisation of the day, an unforeseen task, but it highlighted all the sudden changes and the sudden rush of everything that had happened. Still, there was nothing that gave Marco any hints at _how_ it had happened. There was nothing to indicate how Jean and Leo’s mother met, what their relationship was like, or how they had responded to the unexpected pregnancy. Jean’s Instagram was dedicated to updates of Leo. It didn’t tell anything about Jean's life outside of that, where or with whom he lived now, or even if he had taken a job after quitting school.

The pictures on the account were taken in various places and what looked to be various houses. Again, Marco didn't learn much, but at least it meant that Jean had the support of family and friends.

Whatever the situation was, Marco couldn't help noticing Leo’s mother only appeared in the early entries to Jean’s parenting journal.

* * *

Marco hadn’t messaged Jean. The only up-to-date contact information he had was Jean’s Instagram, and that wasn’t a platform Marco ever used the messaging function of. For the moment, Marco was okay with the slow social life. He was busy as it was, preparing the store for Valentine’s Day and managing a healthy amount of sleep at the same time. But even so, simply following Jean on Instagram was like rediscovering a friendship. Directly or not, Marco got regular updates on the lives of Jean and Leo.

The day after their paths crossed, Jean posted a picture of Leo holding onto a chair and wobbly trying to take a step. It was captioned “He’s going to be unstoppable.”

This morning, Marco woke up to a picture of Jean giving Leo a big kiss on the cheek, Leo’s expression brighter than a million suns. It was beyond adorable. The day instantly seemed a lot more exciting.

There was little point in denying it to himself. Marco did think Jean was attractive. He had in the past, and he still did. Jean looked a lot different; his hair a lot longer and the beginnings of facial hair accenting his jawline, but all of it still felt so familiar. The biggest change was in the way Jean carried himself; stronger, wiser, more mature in every regard. It was incredibly impressive, but it was also confronting as Marco realised Jean had probably had no choice but to make radical changes once Leo was on his way.

In the past years, as Marco had tripped over the hurdles of business administration and communication, Jean had struggled through decisions that would affect his entire life. He had had to get familiar with family law and child care, preparing for all of those new things in no time. Even before Leo was born, the boy had had a major role in the lives of Jean and his girlfriend.

They had given their full devotion to an unplanned child.

Jean was probably too busy to even think of messaging anyone.

Marco was tempted to leave a comment, just something simple and encouraging, but he settled for only liking the post. Jean was displaying a private and very important part of his world, and Marco couldn't find the right words. It all sounded too forward, too random, especially after his mistake last time.

Leo had Jean's eyes. They were the same gorgeous amber, full of warmth and love as father and son smiled together. It was strange, but so incredible to see the resemblance so clearly.

Marco had a lot of respect for Jean. Parenthood had come at him so suddenly, but Jean had embraced it and gave Leo everything he had.

Marco didn’t know if he could have done the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do leave feedback if you can! I'm still figuring out how I want to finish this and I would like to take your input into account :)
> 
> And most importantly, I hope you enjoy!


	2. Double Score

Valentine’s Day was every bit the chaotic mess Marco had feared it would be. From the moment the door opened, the flow of people didn’t stop. It had its peaks and slumps, but there was no end to the hopeful suitors and sweet significant others coming in to buy their partner handmade chocolates, either in a rush or with all the time in the world to make the perfect selection, no in between.

Marco used to help out at the store when he was in high school, too, and his mother was stressed around this time every year, so he had a sense of how busy it got, but it was nothing to prepare him for the reality of being in chocolate sales on Valentine’s Day.

Some time past noon, Marco’s feet hurt and his knees were starting to give out. He was hungry, losing focus with exhaustion, and the moment the rush of people slowed down again, Marco took his chance.

“I’m taking my lunch break.” Marco turned to Connie, giving him a compassionate but determined smile. Most of the time there was only one of them at the storefront, but yeah, today was different. “Good luck. I won’t take long.”

“Leave it to Superman,” Connie called after him, raising his arms in a muscle pose when Marco sent him a quick thumbs up.

The lunch room was small with simple carpet and simple furniture, but it served its purpose. As Marco grabbed his lunch from the refrigerator, sat down and took a bite, the limited space felt like a cozy resort with its woody, warm colours. Taking a deep breath in the quiet air, the peacefulness washed over him and Marco felt significantly better. It was amazing what a difference food could make.

With a contented sigh, Marco pulled his phone from his pocket to check for any updates. Ignoring some advertisements, his eye instantly fell on a notification from Instagram; a new picture from Jean.

The picture was taken somewhere down the shopping street with the help of a friend. Jean had both arms wrapped around Leo, proudly holding him under the arrow on a store’s Valentine’s decoration that read “My treasure.” There was a huge smile on Jean’s face, eyes crinkled with humour, laughing at the cheesy, but heartfelt statement.

Marco automatically mimicked the expression, equally amused and endeared by the post.

Posted 12 minutes ago. If Jean was in the city center right now, he couldn’t be too far away…

“Is it him again?”

Marco’s head snapped up, wide eyes landing on a person right beside him, startled to find her curiously peering over his shoulder.

Sasha cooed. “Marco, look at them. Why do you have all the cute friends?”

“As if you don’t,” Marco defended, quickly flipping the cover of his phone case shut. “Don’t you have chocolates to make?”

“Don’t you have chocolates to sell?” Sasha retorted, bouncing on her feet as she turned to the refrigerator and retrieved her lunch. “We just finished a huge batch. This girl needs to eat,” she declared, plopping down beside Marco, but ignoring him in favour of her food. She let out a happy moan as she enthusiastically took a bite, expression glowing.

Nobody could hold a candle to Sasha’s love for food. Only after she had eaten an average man’s potion, and that didn’t nearly take as long as you’d expect, she slowed down a little. Not even Nikolo, who had been the apprentice chocolatier before her and spend virtually all of his free time learning new recipes, could eat the way she could.

Marco quietly ate his own bread, enjoying the silence that he knew would come to an end when Sasha decided to get back on the topic.

“So why are you afraid to message him?”

“I’m not,” Marco said. Sasha shoved another spoonful into her mouth and fixed him with a disbelieving stare. “I’m not. I just don’t know what to say.”

“Why not?”

Knowing there was no escape, Marco sighed and resigned to his fate. “Jean and I haven’t spoken to each other in about four years. A lot has changed.”

“So?” Sasha incited, “You think he won’t like you anymore?”

The truth rang loud and clear as Sasha spoke it. Marco hated to admit it, even to himself, but there was definitely a very anxious part of himself that constantly feared people’s rejection. It was something that he had fought during his teens, and he had thought he had improved, but in reality it always kept going up and down. Since coming back to Sina, Marco hadn't been in the best place. 

A lot had changed. En Chocolat had an almost entirely new staff, all of Marco’s high school friends lived in cities far from little old Sina, but Marco was still the same.

Shaking the thought off, Marco deflected the question. “Why haven’t you asked anyone out?”

Sasha quirked her eyebrows as if to challenge him, emphasising that she saw right through his tactics, but then shrugged casually. “I don’t want to choose.”

It was obvious to everyone that both Connie and Nikolo wouldn’t hesitate for a second if Sasha were to ask one of them out. They both knew they had competition with each other as well, which regularly led to situations in which they tried to outdo one another and proceeded to make their unspoken intentions clear to the world. Sasha had caught on to what was going on quickly enough, but she didn’t seem keen on making work of it.

“How do you mean?” Marco frowned, “You’re not ready to?”

“Maybe that, maybe not.” Sasha bit her lip, a frown drawing between her eyebrows. “I like things the way they are. All three of us,” she said, tone more quiet, subdued, but before Marco could read into it, mischief shone in her eyes again. “I’m not sure yet, but you know what I’m going to do to find out?”

“Well?”

“Spend more time with them.”

Marco suddenly got the feeling this wasn’t about Sasha anymore. She tilted her head and fixed him with a pointed look that reminded Marco much of his mother. Sasha was Aurora’s apprentice chocolatier, but it went without saying that they had more in common than culinary skills and chocolate wasn’t the only thing they liked to chat about.

“You should message him,” Sasha continued, “It’s Valentine’s Day, that’s as good an excuse as any.”

“Yeah, a message on Valentine’s Day won’t have any subtext,” Marco said sarcastically, “I don’t even know where to start. Maybe I just want to be friends.”

“Then be his friend,” Sasha countered, her voice rising with persuasion. “Talk to him. Looking at his pictures isn’t going to help you see if things are still the same.” Sasha met Marco’s eyes, earnest and sincere under a layer of boisterous. Marco swallowed. “Besides, being his friend first doesn’t mean nothing more can develop. You don’t have to choose right now. You just have to make a start.”

Sasha was right. She had been onto Marco’s interest in Jean from the first conversation he came up in and she had only seen him get more anxious about it. The longer this uncertainty lasted, the longer Marco had to convince himself it would go wrong. He couldn’t know the outcome before he began. He had to stop trying to predict the future.

If anything had changed, it was that Marco had learned a few things about himself, and one such thing was that he regretted the chances he missed because he was afraid to try about as much as the ones he had failed.

“Fine. Maybe I’ll message him,” Marco surrendered, eyes narrowing at Sasha as she beamed and clapped her hands together excitedly. “Tomorrow.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “Give me that phone.” 

Snatching Marco’s phone from the table, Sasha leaned away in her seat and pulled up the keyboard. Marco immediately tried to grab it back, but she held him at a distance with one hand and extended her other arm in the opposite direction.

“Sasha, don't,” Marco warned, but Sasha only fought harder against a grin that threatened to ruin her serious expression.

“In exchange for that heart-to-heart, I get to take a look,” Sasha argued. Marco glared at her, obviously not in agreement, but she was not deterred. “I won’t send anything without your approval. I promise.”

Sitting back, Marco kept a stern eye on her. Sasha may have been a tremendous tease, but she wasn't an ass enough to do anything clearly against his will. “You better not.”

Sasha nodded pledgingly and Marco watched on as she took the phone in both hands again, ready to leap into action at the first suspicious movement. Sasha started typing something, frowned, erased it, and tried again. She repeated the process, but then the frown let up and turned into a smile as she presented the phone to Marco.

“There. How’s that sound?”

Jean’s Instagram post was still opened, an unsent comment below.

“ _The most important treasure_ ” it read, followed by a bunch of thumbs-up emoticons to ensure its positive vibe.

“Sasha,” Marco said flatly, letting the sceptical cock of his eyebrows convey the rest.

“Trust me,” Sasha tried, “Anything good you say about his son will go straight to his heart. His son _is_ the most important treasure.”

“Of course he is.” Marco frowned, shaking his head as Sasha raised her hands in a victorious gesture. “It’s a weird thing to say out of nothing.”

“Why is it weird?” Sasha leaned forward, rereading her message. “You’re showing him support. With humour. Double score.”

“I don’t know if Jean will get the humour in your emoticon language.” Maybe the comment wasn’t weird per se, but the humour was distinctly Sasha. It didn’t sound like Marco, so it wasn’t the right thing to say. He wasn’t as bold and to the point, let alone as brave as to be purposefully over the top.

His phone buzzed in his hand and Marco pulled it up to see a quick text from Connie.

“Connie needs me. I’m going back to work.” Marco smiled briefly at Sasha, cleaning up swiftly and pointedly avoiding any further questions. Sasha snorted and wished him good luck, her bright, intense eyes on his back as he hurried out of the room.

Marco paused before heading back into the store, taking another look at the post on his phone. Sasha’s comment was still there, waiting to be sent. Considering again, Marco almost hit the button. He wanted to let Jean know he was there, but not with another’s person’s words and his own words were letting him down.

Marco’s attention fell on the only comment that was already below the post. It was a simple heart emoticon. So simple, yet a clear sign of support. Marco figured he could manage that much. Quickly, before he could change his mind, Marco kept only two of Sasha's many thumbs-up and entered a happy smiley in front of them, pressed send, shoved his phone into his pocket, and immediately distracted himself with work.

A minute before closing time, Marco had finally helped the last person in line and went to check the Valentine’s display, rearranging what was left for tomorrow’s sale. Connie had already disappearing into the back, talking animatedly about a dinner date he had to get ready for. Marco picked up the plastic sign with red hearts and product information to replace it when the bell at the front door chimed again, announcing an expected, but little appreciated last minute shopper.

“Hey Marco.”

Marco’s eyes widened at the sound of that voice, turning to face the late customer.

“The store looks nice,” Jean added, gaze turned up to the heart garlands with the occasional red balloon tied to them. They were cliché and a pain to put up, but Marco agreed they added a nice, romantic flair to the store.

“Thank you,” Marco said, eyes gliding down to Jean’s feet and back up to his face as Jean walked up to him, finally coming to a stop in front of the display. The longer hair, untied and a little messy, along with the stubbly beard made Jean look rougher than he had before. He wore the same long, dark coat today as he had last time, but the weather was a little better today so he left the buttons undone, glimpses of his lean frame revealed between the halves as he moved. With a formal shirt tucked into form-fitting jeans, the slope of Jean’s chest to his waist was almost demanding Marco’s notice.

Jean looked different, but he treated Marco almost exactly as he had back in high school, so why couldn’t Marco do the same?

It should be easy. It had always been easy, even as Marco silenced the crush he had developed. In essence, they were the same two people, but Marco could not stop seeing Jean as someone who was in an entirely different stage of life from himself. A lot of things had changed. Jean had a son. Jean was a respectable father, responsible and loving, someone who had learned to be an adult and fend for himself. Marco, on the other hand…

Marco hadn’t changed. He hadn’t grown. Marco was static, no matter how hard he tried, and he dreaded the moment Jean found out.

Chocolates. Focus on the chocolates.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

Jean shrugged. “Not really. Just a simple gift.”

“Who is it for?”

Marco didn’t know why he asked that. He could only come up with one person.

“Rosaleen.” Marco raised his eyebrows at Jean’s answer, tilting his head in a request for elaboration, and Jean got the hint with an amused smile. “Leo’s mother.”

“Oh,” Marco managed. See. He hadn’t needed to ask that. “Of course.”

“It’s not so much a Valentine’s gift, though,” Jean added, shaking his head as if he knew what was going on in Marco’s mind. “More of a thank you gift.”

Surprised, but under watchful, beautifully amber eyes, Marco only paused for a second. “Not the heart-shaped ones, then?”

“Better not, I think.” Jean looked away, turning to the Valentine’s display again, and Marco felt relieved at the loss of direct observation. It was short-lived when a frown drew onto Jean’s features. "All this Valentine’s business made me think of her, no matter how much has changed. I just want to show some appreciation. She's in Trost, but she helps me out, you know.”

“Of course,” Marco said, not exactly clear on the situation, but keeping his mind on the matter. Jean needed him to help choose the right chocolates, not meddle in his life. “Let me see. Any preferences for flavour?”

“Nothing too sweet. As long as the flavour isn’t too overwhelming, Rosaleen isn’t picky.”

Marco nodded, placing three boxes of chocolate on top of the display. They were different kinds of chocolates and with different kinds of fillings, offering a convenient, but diverse choice. The more decorative and expensive sets implied more romance than Jean seemed to want, so Marco left those out by default. “I would suggest one of these. Take a look.”

Jean smiled his thanks, turning to the boxes Marco selected and picking up the middle one to read the ingredients on the back. As Jean took his time, Marco let out another breath he didn't know he’d been holding. In the safety of Jean’s distraction, Marco could truly look at the other's face for the first time that day. A thoughtful line pulled on Jean’s lips and eyebrows, but it did nothing to make him look any less at ease. He appeared so comfortable in the store, its rustic interior making him look right at home.

Despite the rougher look, Marco's impression of Jean had become so much softer. He could imagine Jean at home, playing calmly with Leo and lying down beside him when he got tired. 

Marco threaded with care, but threaded nonetheless. Jean was the one who brought the situation up, so even if it was difficult, he seemed okay with the topic.

“Are you visiting Trost to deliver the chocolate?”

Jean looked back at him only briefly, continuing to read the label on the next box. “No. I’ll send them by mail,” he answered simply. It wasn’t rude. It was casual, letting himself continue to focus on the task at hand while chatting, and Marco felt a sense of comfort from the ease Jean exuded. “Trost is a long drive. Leo doesn’t like it,” Jean added, turning to Marco with one of the boxes in his hands. He was still smiling lightly, unconcerned to share bits of his world with Marco. “Rosaleen came here to see him on winter break.”

Marco felt his own shoulders relax. “It hasn’t been long, then.”

“Nah.” Jean shook his head, pausing, a frown forming as his gaze fell to the floor. “We’re not sure yet if she can make it to Leo’s birthday.”

“Because of college?” 

Jean nodded. “There’s a required seminar on the same day and the board of examination is deciding whether or not to make an exception for her. I’m the custodial parent, so they disagree about her rights and the importance of a birthday.”

“Man,” Marco breathed out, his own eyes finding interest in the floor boards Jean had taken to studying. They were well-cleaned. Thankfully, Marco kept the store tidy and nobody with muddy shoes had walked in since he last mopped the floor. “I never thought of how difficult these things are.”

“They suck, let me tell you.”

Marco snorted, eyes shooting back up to look at Jean. Jean’s tone was biting, reminding him of a younger Jean, hot-headed and foul-mouthed, but there was an odd lack of profanity that certainly didn’t suit the memory. His mind provided an image of Jean a few years ago, biting his tongue and straining to limit himself to a plain “they suck.”

Grinning at the thought, Marco nudged Jean in the side. “You learned to watch your language for Leo, huh?”

Straightening his shoulders, Jean frowned. “Yes. What’s your point?”

Marco only smiled wider, the pout willing to form at the same time twisting his expression into a strange mix of mischief and endearment. “That’s so sweet.”

Jean tried his hardest to look unaffected, but his cheeks were quickly turning red with embarrassment. He spluttered a denial and raised a hand as if to push Marco in retaliation, but it was only joking threat.

Marco couldn’t help it. All the pressure suddenly fell away and he felt so elated at the simple banter. He laughed like he hadn’t in a long time. There was a moment where Jean looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, but Marco only laughed harder as he saw the smile tugging on Jean’s lips, and Jean soon joined him in all out laughter. Marco’s face hurt, but he didn’t stop. It was too good to be laughing with Jean like this, like they were as close and comfortable as ever, like Marco hadn't spent hours agonizing over this, and Jean sounded like it did him just as good as it did Marco. Jean met his eyes, directing a smile specifically at him, and Marco was breathless.

“Marco?”

Turning back, Marco looked to the door with a grin still plastered on his face. His mother looked him over, wondering what was going on, but she perked up when she saw who Marco had been talking with.

”Jean, is that you?” Aurora said, walking up to them with a cheerful step. She didn’t give Jean time to answer, not really asking in the first place. “Marco mentioned that you came by before. You’ve gotten even taller, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, well.” Jean shrugged, not sure what else to say to the simple truth. Aurora was craning her neck to look up at him. Marco was the tallest at home, but even he felt like he shrank next to Jean.

Aurora smiled that motherly smile, the one where she knew she was putting Jean on the spot but still encouraged him to talk. “You look good. How are you doing?”

“Good,” Jean confirmed unelaborately, “How about you?”

“Oh, I’m great,” Aurora enthused. “The store is running well, we’re in good health, I have my son nearby and he works hard to help me. I can’t ask for more.” Aurora gestured at Marco, talking about him in that proud voice that never felt quite like he deserved it. Jean quickly glanced at him, escaping Aurora’s expectant eyes, and Marco felt sympathy. He knew how overwhelming she could be, especially if you aren’t used to her overexcitement on a regular basis. She barely reached above Jean’s shoulders in height, but her confidence was overpowering. Aurora raised her eyebrows as her attention fell on Jean again. “Last-minute shopping for a boyfriend or girlfriend?”

Ah. Now Marco knew exactly what she was doing.

“Mom, what did you need me for?” Marco interrupted, trying to save both Jean and himself from any further embarrassment.

Aurora turned to him with a questioning gaze. “Nothing in particular. I wanted to ask if you’re almost done.” Marco shook his head, narrowing his eyes in a way that subtly told her not to pursue the interrogation. She didn’t let anything show in her expression, but Marco knew that she understood and resigned as she continued to smile broadly and took a step back. “There’s no rush. Just close up the store after you’ve helped Jean.”

“Will do,” Marco promised.

“I’ll be in the back.” Aurora made to retreat, but not before she had reached out to Marco and clapped him on the arm. “Good work today, Marco. A successful Valentine’s Day.”

As Aurora disappeared through she same door she had appeared from, she left a stretch of silence behind. Marco stood there, stunned by his mother’s quick and seamless action, much more aware of Jean’s presence than before her quest to inform and impress. Jean seemed equally lost for a moment, but he breathed a laugh and picked back up.

“She’s proud of you.”

“I suppose,” Marco agreed timidly. Aurora did tell him so, frequently assuring him that he did well, that he would find the path he wanted to take, but Marco had trouble talking about it. “Have you made a choice?”

Following Marco's gesture, Jean raised the box of chocolates that he held. They were assorted pralines, a simple classic. “I'll take this one.”

Marco nodded in affirmation, moving over to the counter to check out. The register had finally found the time to go into sleep mode, so Marco started it again and scanned the product. “That will be 9.38.”

Jean frowned, remembering a difference price on the sticker. “Are you sure?”

“Well, technically the sale starts tomorrow, but it’s after closing time today, so…”

“Are you sure?” Jean repeated, more pointedly this time. Marco just smiled.

“Do you want it or not?”

Jean raised his hands in surrender, pulling his card from his wallet lest Marco changed his mind. With a laugh, Marco handed him the receipt and followed Jean to the front door to lock up. The energy from before was still buzzing. It was in Marco’s pace, in Jean’s pace, in the way even saying goodbye left them with smiles on their faces and it didn’t feel like it could be the last goodbye in a long time at all. It wouldn’t be.

Just as Marco put the key into the lock, a thought hit him and he immediately pushed the door open again.

Jean was still in sight.

“Jean!” Marco called out, leaving the door half open behind him as he sped to catch up. Jean turned around curiously, waiting for Marco until he came to a panting stop. “Jean. Hey. Can I have your phone number?”

Jean’s response was delayed, surprised. “Sure,” he said eventually, watching on as Marco patted his pockets.

“I left my phone in the store,” Marco explained, breath still coming raggedly. “I can send myself a text. If you’ll give me your phone for a second.”

With a shrug, Jean easily handed over his phone, let Marco do as he pleased, and took the phone back once it was offered to him.

Marco smiled at Jean’s uncertain face. “I’d like to catch up.”

Jean naturally mirrored the expression. “Me too.”

“Cool.” Looking back at the less than secure state he’d left the store in, Marco was contented with the quick completion of his mission. “I’ll go lock up. See you later.”

“Sure thing,” Jean said, calling out to him again as Marco was a few steps ahead. “I’ll message you!”

A huge grin immediately took home on Marco’s face and he turned around to let Jean see it, waving him goodbye one more time.

In the store, Aurora was waiting for Marco with her arms crossed over her chest. “Marco Bott,” his mother began, and Marco braced himself for a lecture about leaving the door open when the store was unguarded. “I saw what you did with that discount,” she continued, voice making a complete turn from stern to pleased. “Nice move, son.”

Marco was left gaping as she returned to her business without further comment.

* * *

_> > We also have coffee, tea and cake :)_

Marco quickly hit send, adding onto his previous message. In the car, as his mother drove the short way from the shopping street to their home, Marco had opened his phone to a new text from Jean. It was a short, simple question, but it had nevertheless made the swarm of butterflies in Marco’s chest and stomach go crazy. Jean had asked him if he wanted to meet up sometime, and Marco was typing an excited reply before he even noticed the look his mother was giving him from the driver’s seat. She couldn’t possibly see on his screen, but when Marco had sent his answer and looked beside him, it was more than clear she already knew who he was talking to.

“I won’t say anything.” Aurora had grinned at him, victorious satisfaction tugging on her lips, and Marco simply smiled back, letting her have her moment. She deserved. Watching the passing landscapes, Marco let everything sink in. He still couldn’t fathom how quickly his anxiety around Jean had disappeared today, and combined with his mother’s happiness for him, it finally felt like a weight had fallen off of him.

Now home, Marco had conveniently been granted permission to skip helping out with dinner and to take off any day he wanted to, so there was nothing stopping him from lounging on the couch with his phone still glued to his hands, planning a meeting with Jean.

Jean had let him know when he had time off, suggesting a coffee on one of his free afternoons. Instead, Marco asked him how he liked hot chocolate, telling him to stop by at En Chocolat for one whenever he pleased. Marco imagined it was much easier for him to work around Jean’s schedule than the other way around.

_< < This Friday around 2?_

_> > Perfect!_

_< < Great! See you then :)_

Marco sent a similar “see you” back, smiley face included, and then there was silence. The date was planned. A time-and-date kind of date. Marco would get to talk to Jean again in only two days, so once he felt that there wasn’t going to be another reply right now, he went to make the table while his mother finished up their food. The salmon smelled absolutely delicious. As if perfectly on cue, as ever, Kaito got home just as Marco put the last drinks on the table and his mother was ready to serve.

Marco’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

_< < I’m making dinner. Have you eaten?_

Marco quickly snapped a picture of everything prepared on the table, typing a message before putting his phone away again just in time to join as his parents sat down to eat.

_> > About to. Salmon and rice. How about you?_

It wasn’t until later that night that Marco saw the messages Jean had sent him in return. There was a picture of his food on the stove; a pan with boiling pasta and a skillet with salmon in a creamy white sauce.

_< < We also have salmon :O for in the pasta_

Marco laughed at the shocked emoticon, but was soon distracted by the second picture. It was of Jean and Leo, a small plate of finely cut pasta on the table and Jean holding an empty spoon as he paused feeding his son to smile at the camera with him.

_< < This one loves fish_

Marco’s smile split his face at the sight. He was about to learn a lot about baby diets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I have no idea how long it will take for the next one. Suddenly it became really hard to write this, I don't know why...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed how it turned out nonetheless! Do let me know in a comment if you like ^^


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